Dust-separator



Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.zzz-aorz y H. MILLIKEN.

DUST SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1921.

1 388,74 1 Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

7 W m w c c 5 CE W Q N UNITED STATES HUMPHREYS MILLIKEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DUST-SEPARATOR.

Application filed March 1, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUMPHREYS MILLIKE a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dust-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for separating dust from air or gases in which it is held suspended and depends upon the utilization of centrifugal force for this purpose. v

Machines of this general character have been made hitherto wherein the gases containing the dust are given a whirling motion in a continuous helical path (either right or left handed). Machines of this character not only present diiiiculties in construction and operation, but, as the gases are made to move forward from one end to the other of the machine, there is a translatory component of motion which is entirely ineifective, so far as separation of dust is concerned, and therefore represents wasted energy. Furthermore it is well known that the centrifugal force is increased by lessening the radius of the curve of movement. Now in rotary (helical) machines reduction of the radius implies a corresponding decrease in the capacity of the machine, so that one is confronted by inconsistent require ments in designing such a machine.

Moreover it is very desirable that the gas stream be made as narrow as possible so as to reduce to a minimum the distance each dust particle has to travel before it is ejected. This is inconsistent with large capacity in the helical type of machine. a

My improved apparatus is not only simpler and cheaper, both to construct and to operate, than the helical type of machine,

but it avoids the objections above noted by substituting continuous forward movement in a zig-zag path'for the helical movement. In other words, the air or gas is driven through a passageformed in a succession of opposite curves forming cylindrical sections,

each describing 180 degrees in the form shown, although more or less than this may be used.

The inner wall of each successive curve is i .made solid so as entirely to confine the gas and dust while the opposite (outer) wall is provided with perforations permitting escape of the dust into a deadair chamber. The nature of these perforationsmay be Specification of Letters Patent.

objects in view.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Serial No. 448,788.

varied to suit the judgment of the constructor, and in accordance with theparticular Certain preferred forms are herein described and shown.

Sucha passage, while it can be made as long as desired, may be made extremely narrow in the direction of curvature, thus minimizing the distance through which the dust particles must travel in order to reach the points of ejection. At the same time the width or depth of the passage (at right angles to the planes of curvature) may be made as great as desired, thereby attaining any desired capacity without increasing the radial width (thickness) of the passage.

It is also clear that the radius of each curve in the passage or passages may be made as short as desired, thus increasing the intensity of the centrifugal force, without sacrifice of capacity.

It is a further advantage of this invention I that it makes it very easy andsimple to build up a piece of apparatus by simple addition of successive units, each substantially identical in construction with everyflother.

Certain preferred forms of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of my apparatus, with portion of the top removed, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with a part of one side removed,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 33 in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4: 4: in Fig.1, Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan View of the portion uncovered in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a similar View of a modified form of my device employing horizontal exit slits for the dust, Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same, andFig. 8 is a diagram in plan view showing an apparatus using multiple passages.

The apparatus as shown in Figs. 1' to 5 comprisesa closed casing having sides 10, a top 11 and a (preferably) movable bottom 12. The ends ofthis casing are also closed.

A passage 13 admitsthe air which is blown in under adequate pressure, or otherwise forced through, and this air, after being cleaned in the apparatus, leavesitby the passage 14. f I

The main outer casing is provided internally with a dust-separating passage 15 through which the air or gases to be treated is driven in passing from13 to 14. This passage, as shown, is quite narrow in proportion to the depth, eXtending from thetop 11 to a point 16 (Fig. 4) somewhat above the bottom or dust-receiving portion of the casing. The passage 15 is composed, as shown, of a succession of return curves struck upon radii sufficiently short to produce the desired degree of centrifugal action in view of the velocity of the air or gas. In the drawin s these curves are circular arcs each of 180 degrees, but this particular form is not, of course, essential. The top and bot tom of the passage are closed in.

As best shown in Figs. 4c and 5, the inner vertical wall, 17, of the passage 15 is closed, being preferably formed of sheet metal; while the outer side of the curve is perforated to allow exit of the dust. In these figures the perforations take the form of vertical slits 18, between substantially vertical rods, plate or wires. The preferred form for these is a T bar 19 as shown.

. As the air is driven rapidly through the passage 15, the centrifugal action will force the dust out through the openings 18; and, in order to prevent the air from following with the dust, each slitted curve bends outward into a dead air chamber 20. The successive dead air chambers are formed by vertical partitions 21 extending from top to bottom of the casing. in Fig. 3, where is also shown the form of the supporting wall 22, under the passage 15.

In order to prevent passage of air through each dead air chamber from a point of high pressure to a point of lower pressure in the passage 15, I prefer to use one or more airconfining plates 23. These extend from the top to bottom of the main casing and in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5, these plates are placed with their inner edges a ainst the outwardly projecting flanges of the T bars 19, and extend all the way to the walls of the respective dead air chambers. I r The dust which finds its way into the sections of dead air chambers between the plates 23, falls into the lower part of the casing upon the floor 12 from which it can be removed in any desired manner. shown, this is accomplished by supporting the floor 12 in an air-tight manner against the bottom edges of the walls 10 by means of beams 24 to the middle of which the floor is pivotally attached, as by the plates 25. One end of each beam 24 is suspended by a link 26 from a bracket .27, while the front ends of the beams are heldup by chains or cables 28, wound upon a shaft'29 which can be controlled by a hand wheel 30 to raise and lower the floor 12.

It is made particularly clear in Fig. 3 that the apparatus as a whole can be built up in successive units, each comprising a single half bend in the dust-separating passage with two confining walls for a dead air chamber.

The present invention not limited to the These are best shown In the form I merely preferred examples.

One modification. of these is shown in F ig-s. 6 and 7, wherein the outer side of each curve in the passage 15 is shown to be constructed of parallel horizontal bars or wires 31. The dust which escapes between these wires is receivedand guided in a number of quasi-tangential narrow passage formed between the curved air-confining plates 32 and the shorter curved deflecting plates 33. The

inner edge of each deflecting plate 33 coincides with the intersection of the wires 31 and one air-confining plate 32, and each plate 33 extends outwardly in a curve substantially parallel with the next plate 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. By thus guiding the dust as ejected from between the hori- .zontal wires, eddies are largely prevented,

and the prompt settling of the dust to the bottom is promoted.

In Fig. 8 isshown one of the possible arrangements for the use of a plurality of tortuous dust separating passages 15. Here it will be seen that four passages are arranged between five series of dead air chambers, and

that'the interior chambers receive dust from passages on opposite sides of the same. .All four passages will receive the air or gases from a common chamber 34 at the inlet end of the apparatus, and will discharge into a similar chamber.

IVhile the invention has been shown embodied in apparatus wherein the centrifugal force is exerted horizontally it is clear that the passage or passages may be arranged at any desired angle to the horizon without departing from the scope of the invention.

Many changes may be made in this apparatus without departing from the scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the details herein shown and described.

What I claim is- 1. The process for separating dust from air and gases which consists lIl fOICiIlg the dust-laden gas to move through a series of curvedpaths in opposed directions while confining the dust only on the inner side of each curve, and preventing exterior circulation of air on the convex side of each curve.

2. Apparatus for the purpose described comprising a narrow passage describing a series of oppositely directed curves, said pasonly of each cylindrical section being per forated, in combination with dead air chambers substantially completely separated from each other for receiving the dust.

4. Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 3 hereof wherein the axes of the cylindrical sections are set vertically.

'5. Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 3 hereof wherein the outer walls of each cylindrical section are formed of parallel bars separated by narrow slots.

6. Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 3 hereof wherein the outer walls of each semi-cylinder are formed of substantially vertical bars separated by narrow slots.

7 Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 2 hereof in combination with air confining plates in the dead air chambers.

8. Apparatus of the character set forth in claim 2 hereof wherein the perforated walls are composed of substantially vertical bars and wherein air confining plates extend from said bars outward into the dead air chambers.

9. Apparatus'of the character setforth in claim 2 hereof in combination with air conreceiving chamber underneath the dead air chambers provided with means permitting removal of dust therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand on this 24th day of February 1921.

HUMPHREYS MILLIKEN. 

